Metal-breaking device



y 2, 1929- -G. POWELL 1,719,278

METAL BREAKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l (as E' July2, 1929. a. POWELL 1,719,278

METAL BREAKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 nyenww July2, 1929.

G. POWELL METAL BREAKING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 15, 1924 v[22 ynanl 6072267 6 1 0201922 fly July 2; 1929. G. POWELL METAL BREAKINGDEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [re yen 602 GomerfoweidPatented July 2, 1929.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"I GOMERT POWELL, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, iASSIG-NOR TO PULLZMAN CARAND MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS;

METAL-BREAKIN G DEVICE.

Application filed August 15, 1924. Serial No. 732,335.

This invention relates to metal breaking devices and more particularlyto devices for breaking railway car wheels [n'eparatory to chargingcnpola furnaces with the same.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improvedmeans for.

operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedshield or mantle mechanism for a wheel breaking device and means forautomatically raising and lowering the same during the breakingoperation. 1

Further objects of the invention will appear in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles from that shown in Fig. l, withparts in section;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a detail with parts in section;

F'g. 1 is a sectional plan view on line 1-4 of Fig. 1;

5 is a vertical section of the guide and anvil showing the weight andshroud or shield in lowered position;

F 6 is a similar view showiiig the weight and shroud or shield inpartially elevated position Fig. 7 is a plan view of the charging motor,with parts in section; and

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

1V hile the device is adapted to break into smaller pieces metallicarticles of various kinds, it is especially adapted to break discardedcar wheels and the like into smaller particles in order to facilitatethe melting of the same. For simplicity of illustration and convenienceof description a car wheel breaking device has been selected. todisclose one embodiment of the invention.

()n the drawing, the reference character 10 designates an anvil on whichthe car wheel or other metallic article 11 is adapted to be placedpreparatory to breaking the same.

The anvil 10 is supported in any convenient manner, as by means of thebase 12.

The wheel. is adapted to be broken by a falling weight 13 which iselevated androleased in pile driving machinery. As shown, a suitabletower comprising the up rights 1 1 and bracing members 15 is mountedover the anvil and forms a support for the vertically extending guidesor leaders 16 and 17 which may be in the form of I-beams spaced apart asshown in Fig. l, and which constitute a gnideway for the hammer orweight 13. The guides 16 and 17 are connected together by the members 18and are braced from the tower by suitable braces 19 and 20. In orderthat the hammer or weight may be readily removed torreplacen'lent orrepairs or for removing small particles 01 the broken metal that may beprojected up wardly and become wedged between the guides and the hammeror weight, one of the guides or leaders as 16 is pivoted at its upperend as at 21 whereby the same may be swung outwardly and the piece ofbroken metal, or the weight, removed when desired.

Suitable. means are provided for raising the weight or hammer 13 and forautomatically releasing the same when it reaches a undetermined height.As shown, the weight is reduced at its upper end. to form a head 22having oppositely arranged shoulders 23. thereon. The shoulders may beformed by steel inserts asshown in Fig. 5. The shoulders 23 are adaptedto be detaclt ably engaged by a pair of weight ei'igaging members ortongs 2 1 pivoted to the tong housing 25 slidably mounted in theguideway formed by the leaders 16 and 17. The housing 25is raised bymeans of a cable 26 which is connected to said housing and is trainedover suitable sheaves or pulleys 27 on the top of the tower under apulley 28 at the base of the tower and over a pulley 31 mounted on thepiston 32 of the hydraulic lifting motor The lower end oil" the cable 26is secured by any suitable means at the base'ot tl'ie-motor 33. Themotor 38 is controlled by a valve operating lever 30 in the usual or anywell known manner, the water entering through the pipe 380 and beingdischarged through the pipe 39 as is usual in such constructions.

The tongs 24 are so constructed that when the housing 25 is lowered theywill auto matically engage the shoulders 23 as is usual in suchconstructions. The tongs are providedwith the extensions bent to forminclined surfaces for engaging release blocks 36 and 37 at the upper endof the guideway for automatically releasing the weight 13 and permittingthe same to fall by gravity on to the anvil 10 for breaking metallicarticles placed thereon.

In breaking metallic articles in this manner, broken particles arelikely to be projected in all directions,and in order to prevent injuryto persons or property, means are provided for surrounding the articleon theanvil during the descent of the weight.

In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, a shroud or shield 38 is employed'for this purpose. Theshroud is provided at its lower end with an enlarged recess 39 which isadapted to extend over and about articles placed on the anvil, and itsupper end is provided with a guide 41 which is adapted to conform to thecontour of the outer surface of the guideway formed by the leaders 16and 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The shroud is adaptedto engage the anvil 10and form a housing or shield for the Wheel 11 orother metallic article during the breaking operation.

Suitable means are provided for automatically'elevating the shield forpermitting removal of the broken article and the insertion of a new one.Any suitable means may be employed for this purpose. As shown, the

guides 41 of the shield are provided at oppo site sides thereof withdogs or latches 42 and 43 which are adapted to engage shoulders 44 and45 secured to the weight 13. The latches 42 and 43 are provided withweights 46 which are adapted to hold the said latches in retractedposition. Suitable stops 46 limit the downward -movement of the Weights46. A lever 47 is provided at each side of the leaders for engaging thelatches 42 and 43,. These levers are pivoted to brackets 48 extendinginopposite direction from the said leaders. Each lever is provided With anarm 49 for engaging the cor responding latch and with an upwardlyextendmg arm'51' for engaging cam surface 52 provided on each side ofthe tong housing 25. The arms 51 may be provided with suitableanti-friction rollers for engaging said cams. In the operation of thedevice, the shield is lowered in position over the article to be brokenand the weight is re leased, which will break the article intofragments. The tong block 25 is now lowered, and the tongs willautomatically engage the shoulders 23 for raising the weight. In themeantime the arms 51 will engage the cam surfaces 52 as the block 25descends thereby moving the latches 42 and 43 inwardly to engage theshoulders 44 and 45.

broken wheel off of the same.

The tong block 25 is now elevated, carrying with it the weight 13 andthe shield or shroud 38. The shield or shroud 38 continues to beelevated until the inclinedsurfaces 53 of the latches 42 and 43 engagethe cams 54 secured to the runners (3 and 17. lefore the latch memberscome in contact with the cams 54 the cam surfaces 52 will have passedupwardly beyond the arms 51, therebypermitting the latches 42 and -13 tomove outwardly when they engage the cane; 54, to thereby release theshield and to permit the same to drop back on the anvil It).

Suitable means are provided for recharging or for moving metallicarticles on to the anvil and for removing the same after thev have beenbroken. Any suitable means may be employed for this purpose. As shown.a. hydraulic motor 55 is employed. The motor may be of the usual or anyweltknown construction and comprises the stationary pis ton GO and themovable cylinder 57 to which is attached the plunger 58, operating inthe guideway 59. The cylinder 57 is retracted by means of a weight 61connected thereto by a cable 62 extending over a pulley (33. The weight(31 is adapted to be raised and lowered in the well 64 provided forthat. purpose. The motor is controlled by the operator by meansof thelever 56 (see Fig. 4), in the usual manner. lVhere the device isemployed for breaking car wheels as in the form of the apparatusillustrated, the front end. of the plunger 58 is curved as at 61 toconform to the curvature of the wheel.

In the operation of the device, after a wheel has been broken by thedescent of: the weight 13 and the wheel has been placed in the guide 59in front of the plunger 58, the operator moves the valve 33 to raise theweight and shroud above the wheel and anvil. The upward movement ofthese memhers is stopped when the same is above the wheel 11 and thevalve lever 56 is operated to cause the plunger 58 to advance, movingthe wheel (34 on to the anvil and forcing the After the plunger 58 hasreturned, the block 25 is again moved upwardly, which causes the latches53 to engage the cams 54 to release the shroud, which will therebydescend on theanvil over and about the wheel 11. The parts are now inposition for the descent of the weight 13, which occurs when theextensions 35 engage the cams 3G and 37.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my devicewill be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various changes in size,shape. proportion and details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a metal breaking device, an anvil, a

shroud for engaging the upper surface of said anvil, said shroud beingprovided With a central opening and being adapted to extend overandabout an article placed on said anvil, means for dropping a Weightonto said article through said opening and means for removing saidshroud preparatory to removing said article from said anvil.

2. In a metal breaking device, a vertical guidevvay comprising astationary leader, a support therefor, a movable leader, means forpivotally connecting said. movable leader to said support, and a Weightslidably mounted in said guidevvay.

3. In a metal breaking device, a tower, a guide member fixedly securedin vertical position to said tower, a guide member hingedly connected tosaid tower, means for holding said members in spaced relation, and aWeight slidably mounted in the guidevvay formed by said guide members.

4. In combination, an anvil, a guideivay above said anvil, a Weight 11:ving shoulders thereon slidably mounted in said guideway, meansincluding a tong block for elevating said Weight, and for automaticallyreleasing the same, a cam surface on said block, a shroud slidab lymounted on said guideway, a latch on said shroud, means for normallyholding said latch in released position, a lever pivoted to saidguideway and having one arm engaging said latch and having its other armadapted to engage said cam surface When said block is at its lowermostposition for moving said latch in the path of said shoulder for raisingsaid shroud when said Weight is elevated, and a release block on saidguideway for engaging said latch for releasing the same during theelevation oi. said weight.

5. In combination, an anvil, a guideway above said anvil, a Weightslidably mounted in said guideway, means for raising said Weight,shoulders on said weight, a shroud above said anvil, latches carried bysaid shroud and adapted to engage said shoulders for elevating saidshroud when said Weight raised, and means for automatically releasingsaid latches When said shroud has reached a predetermined height.

GOMERT POWELL.

